Improvement in horse hay-forks



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER P. SEGOB, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR IO C. L. BELLAMY, OF OATSKILL, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE HAY-FORKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,834, dated September 5, 1865.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, 0.1). SEGOB, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Horse Hay'Fork; and I do hereby declare that theI following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof', which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a side view of my invention; Fig. 2, a back view ot' the same; Fig. 5, a vertical section oi' the upper part of the Same, taken on the line a; x, Fig. 2.

Similar letters ot' reference indicate like parts.

The fork is constructed ot' a series of metal bars, A, bent or curved so as to form tines or teeth a and shanks b, the latter heilig bentor curved so that they may he connected together at their upper ends. Tile bars A gradually spread apart from their upper to their lower ends, so that the tines or teeth a will be at the proper distance from each other to hold a requisite quantity of hay. The tines or teeth are retained at a proper distance apart by crossbars c c', the central one, c, serving asa handle.

B represents a bail, the lower ends of' which are fitted loosely on the outer ends ot'theouter cross-bars, c', which pass through the outer or side bars, A, of the fork, the bailbeing secured on said cross-bars c c by nuts d. The hail B is curved corresponding to the curvature of the side bars, A, and it has an eye, e, made in its upper end, in which the hoisting-rope is secured.

In the upper part of the fork there is fitted by a pivot, f, a catch, C, which has a spring, D, bearingagainstit, said spring havinga tendency to keep the catch engaged with the bail B just below the eye e. rIhis catch holds the fork in proper position to admit of the latter being elevated with its load; and when the loaded fork is elevated to the desired height the operator, by pulling a Cord attached to the catch C, releases the upper end of the fork from the bail,aud the fork tilts under the gravity of its load and the latter is discharged. When the empty fork is lowered the operator pushes the tines or teeth a into the hay by pressing his foot on the central cross-bar, c, or by shoving the latter downward with his hand and then engaging the bail B with the upper end of the toi-k the latter is ready to be again elevated.

The hoistingro11 e is arra nged and has a horse attached to it in the usual way.

The bail B may be dispensed with, but not the eye c. The latter may be attached to the hoisting-rope and thelower end ot' the rope attached to the central or to the end cross-bars, c or c', the catch O engaging with the lower part ot' the eye c. rlEhe bail, however, would be preferable.

I claim as new and desire to set-ure by Letters Patent- The tines a c a u, each formed in a continuons curve in one piece with its Shanks b,which Shanks converge and are connected together' at their upper ends,in the described combination with the erosshars e c', catch Gf, springs D, and eye e, all constructed, arranged, and employed in the manner and for the purposes specified.

OLIVER P. SEGOB.

Witnesses Jas. G. MACLAY, J. E. SAWYEE. 

